4H416 doi.org/10.32473/edis-4H416-2021 Life Skills in a Minute: Sending a Card 1 Heather Janney 2 1. This document is 4H416, one of a series of the 4-H Youth Development Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date August 2021. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication. 2. Heather M. Janney, county Extension director and Extension agent II, MS, UF/IFAS Extension Columbia County, Lake City, FL 32055. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your county’s UF/IFAS Extension office. U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension. Have you ever received a greeting card in the mail? Receiv- ing a card in the mail is an awesome experience: pulling it out of the mailbox, reading the outside of the envelope, breaking the seal, pulling out the card, reading the note from the sender, and then placing it somewhere special. A lot of families keep their special cards and a stash of greet- ing cards just in case they run into a time when they really need one and do not have time to run to the store. ere is always a perfect card for an occasion, and sometimes a card requires no occasion at all other than thinking of someone. Below are some guidelines to help with sending greeting cards. Know the Person It is important to know the person to whom you are send- ing the card. You need to have an idea of their personality because you want your card to be received well and not perceived as inappropriate. You must consider if you might offend this person with the card you send. You don’t want your positive intention to be misinterpreted or distorted. If you are ever unsure, go with a neutral card; avoid random humor or things that could be misunderstood. You want the recipient to get a smile from something they truly find funny, the heartfelt sincerity, or even the way you know what they would like to hear. Choose the Best If you are choosing a card at a store, look for the highest quality card and envelope. Your special attention to detail will be noticed by the recipient and will make the experience more memorable. However, the option of going to a store is not always available. If you have cards sitting around at home, you can go through them and find the best ones. Finally, do not send a crumpled card or envelope. Handwritten Handwriting is the most important part of sending a card. is is what makes mailing a physical card to someone’s home more special than any e-card, email, text, or digital message. e card you select will likely have something Figure 1. Many people keep a stack of blank multioccasion cards for those last-minute needs. Credits: Heather Janney, UF/IFAS